Sleeping Harry
by F-M Fan
Summary: The King of Gryffindor hires a special 'bodyguard' to whisk his son away from the palace, and keep Harry hidden from the witch who wants him dead. It was supposed to be simple. They just had to lie low until the King gave them the 'ok.' What they didn't count on was a werewolf hell-bent on taking Harry as his mate and a demon with nothing better to do. FG/HP AU Lemons, Fluff, etc.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer****- I do not own Harry Potter.**

Chapter One

"Let's stop for today," a soft, lilting voice broke through the somewhat uncomfortable silence, "I'm tired."

Ice-blue eyes met with emerald-green. "Sorry, but no-can-do, Your Highness," the blonde young woman responded sharply, "we have to keep moving."

The pale young man scratched and tugged at his raggedy, _dirty _clothes, and frowned deeply. "_Why_? Haven't we gone far enough?"

"No." She answered tersely, her patience already running thin.

But Harry Potter, the privileged prince of Gryffindor, wasn't someone who was used to _not_ getting his way.

"Well, too bad," he said, "because we're stopping right _now._" Having said that, he pulled his horse to a stop, and jumped off. After securing his mount to a nearby tree, he sat down, and stubbornly crossed his arms over his chest.

When she realized the prince was no longer following her, the young woman let out a long, frustrated sigh, and turned around. She remained on her horse as it trotted up to the prince. She stopped a few feet shy from where he was sitting, and towered over him on her place atop the earth-brown horse.

"Get up." She ground out through gritted teeth. It was far from a request. "We don't have time for this."

She was met with defiantly narrowed eyes. "No. I'm staying right here." There was a smug tilt to his chin. He was going to get his way; he was sure of it. The woman's job was to escort him safely away from the kingdom, and he just knew she wouldn't leave him alone.

They glared at one another for a few moments. The tension was thick enough to smother someone.

"Fine." She scowled, "suit yourself." With that, she pulled her horse around, and continued to travel down the path. Sure, the king had yet to pay her, but she knew that if she left right now, it would save her a lot of trouble down the road. She desperately wanted to get to the next town, drink 'til she couldn't remember her name, and then settle down in a scratchy inn mattress. That sounded far more appealing than having to babysit a brat all day—especially spoiled, bitchy, royal brats.

Though she couldn't say it surprised her, she was a little disappointed when not even two minutes later she heard Harry's voice behind her, yelling her name.

"Mika, wait!"

She didn't wait, but she did slow down just a tad. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Draco rode up next to her, muttering indignantly to himself.

"Would you really have left me back there?" He asked her.

Silence was his only answer.

**HPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFG**

Piddlebrook was the first 'town' they came across.

It was incredibly tiny, with one inn, a small general store, and maybe seven or eight residential cottages. The town, if one could even call it that, was in the middle of the immensely vast, thick forest the two had spent almost the entire day trekking through.

Harry cringed as he looked around. Compared to the extravagance he was used to, this was just _awful._

"How can _anyone_ live like this?" He said, thankfully keeping his voice down and his jaw from dropping.

Mika rolled her eyes and said nothing as she brushed past him. Harry turned sheet-white as he watched her walk into the inn, which was barely bigger than any of the cottages. "You can't be serious," he said, staring after her with wide eyes, "I can't stay there! I'd rather camp outside!"

She stopped short of the door leading inside, and crossed her arms. "It's getting dark. The next place is ten miles from here, and it's too dangerous to stay outside." She kept her eyes on the door as she added, "So shut the hell up and get your pretty little ass inside."

Harry's mouth opened and closed as he tried, but was unable to, get any words out. His face was flushed red with indignity and anger. _No one_ talked to him like that. He was the prince, dammit! "You can't tell me—" He began angrily, but was cut off.

"GET. INSIDE. _**NOW**_." She barked, causing the prince to jump in surprise, and then quickly scurry into the building.

She rolled her eyes once again, but this time a smirk formed on her lips. _That's_ how you handle royalty.

When she made her way inside, the striking young man was easy to spot (she made a note to herself that his striking-ness wasn't something that would help them in the future). Harry was sulking in the corner next to the window. His arms were crossed over his chest, and it looked like he was pouting. He glared at her as she walked across the room, and up to the friendly-looking woman behind the check-in desk.

Despite the town's size, it seemed that travelers did come by there often. However, they were lucky enough to get the very last room. Mika managed a tiny, polite smile as she slid the payment across the table as the woman smiled and handed over the key to their room.

**HPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFG**

"Oh, come _on!"_ Harry exclaimed as he stood in the doorway, and dropped his bag on the floor. "How do you expect me to sleep on _that?_" He pointed to the only cot in the room (well, that was the only thing in the room). On top of the cot was one pillow and a thin sheet.

"If you have a problem with it, sleep on the floor," Mika grumbled as she pushed the prince out of the way, and shut the door behind her. After locking the door, she plopped down onto the floor next to the window. She held a small, brown satchel on her lap. In it were quite an assortment of knives, some gloves, and bandages. She wished that she could have brought more with her, but it would just slow them down if she brought too much. Besides, if she carried around a hulking sack filled with swords, she would just give herself away.

Harry stood sulking once again, glaring at his so-called 'guardian.' When he'd first met her, she was so polite! She even _smiled. _Who the hell was in front of him now? She was so rude, and mean, and she certainly didn't know how to treat a prince. He opened his mouth to say something, but was shut up by the look Mika shot him. His mouth snapped shut, and he stomped over to the cot.

He sat down on the hard surface, and kicked his shoes off. He lay down slowly and nearly gagged at the smell of his pillow. The scent of musk and sweat floated into his nostrils, and he immediately yanked the pillow from under his bed, and threw it across the room.

At the sound of the nearly silent snicker he received from Mika, his mood immediately worsened.

"Shut up." He said, already regretting that he didn't throw the pillow at her.

"Go to sleep." She replied. She leaned back against the wall, and closed her eyes, though she had no intention of sleeping.

Harry chose not to say anything else after that. He let out a long sigh and tried to clear his mind. Although it was harder than he thought to get to sleep. What with a murderous witch on his tail, thirsting for his blood and all that… It was hard to even close his eyes.

"I can't sleep." He said after ten minutes of trying.

Mika opened one eye, and stared at the small form lying on the cot. Harry was turned so that his back faced her. She closed her eye again.

"Just try," she said, "nothing will happen to you." As she said this, Harry spotted the quiet determination in her tone. He shut his eyes again, and curled up a little. He couldn't help but feel a bit comforted by her words.

"Do you promise?" He asked quietly, keeping his eyes shut.

"…" Mika stayed quiet for a long time. Even when it was the king himself who asked her this question, she wasn't sure of the answer. _Could_ she keep him safe?

"I promise." She said, her voice equally quiet, "go to sleep."

Somewhat reassured, he did as he was told.

**HPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFG**

_The first time Harry met the witch, he was nine years old. _

_He had been in the royal garden, climbing the large oak tree in the middle of all the rose bushes. He was trying to reach the squirrel that ran away from him, when a shock red caught his attention. He looked down, and grinned when he spotted a little girl with long, unruly red hair. She was pale, just like him, and her face was covered in freckles. Large, brown eyes stared up at him curiously. _

"_What are you doing?" She called up. Harry almost laughed at how her squeaky voice cracked as she yelled. _

"_I'm sitting," he answered simply as he swung his legs atop the branch, "what about you?" _

"_I'm talking to you." She answered, her eyes not moving from his._

_Harry laughed. "What's your name?"_

_Her skin tinged a soft, pinkish-red. "Ginevra Weasley." _

_Harry's face scrunched as he heard her answer, and he furrowed his brow as he looked her up and down carefully. The redness on the little girl's skin grew more intense. _

"_You don't look like a _Ginevra_," he said after a while, sticking his tongue in distaste. _

"_Oh? What's your name, then?" She shot back, placing her hands on her hips as she looked up at him, challenging. _

"_Harry Potter." He said proudly, "_way_ better than Ginevra." _

_She was about to say something when Harry cut in, "so from now on, I'll call you Ginny." _

_For a while, all she could so was stare at him with wide, surprised eyes. A moment later, she smiled widely, her eyes crinkling. "Okay." _

**HPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFG**

End of Chapter 1

I hope that was okay for the first chapter… I'm doing a sort-of Sleeping Beauty type thing, but with a few elements removed here and there, but not too much I hope. I don't ship Ginny/Harry, but there won't be any Ginny bashing, so don't worry! ^^; I don't know her character too well, so I hope I don't mess her up… Also, in this story, Harry's more spoiled than anything else… but then again, he is a prince…so yeah. A little OOC, but I hope it didn't bug anyone too much.

Anyway, there'll be some Fenrir / Harry later on, so hang in there everyone! Also, on an unrelated note, I'll hopefully update In the Arms of a Wolf later on… But I wanted to try my hand at long Fenrir / Harry fics, since I've gotten a lot of requests for one. I'm really hoping I don't disappoint you guys!

Thanks for reading, everyone! Please leave a review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer****- I do not own Harry Potter.**

Chapter Two

When Harry woke up, he was no longer at the inn.

"What the…?" He looked around, and was surprised to find that he was back at the palace—the gardens, to be exact. It was sunny, and the breeze was warm as it blew past him. He pushed his hair out of his face, and got to his feet. Slowly, the confusion made way for suspicion. When nothing happened to him, he was soon incredibly happy to be back home. He didn't think of witches or of grumpy blondes as he walked over to the fountain in the very center of the gardens. He scooped some of the cold water into his hands and splashed it on his face.

"Huh…so this isn't a dream," he said, smiling widely as he looked around once more.

"Actually, it is." A cool, velvety voice broke in, "but it _is_ pretty realistic, isn't it?"

Harry froze as the image of a short blonde boy appeared in the water. His entire body was swallowed by a silky, pine-green cloak. The only thing Harry saw was the other's irritatingly smug face. The boy's skin looked pale and smooth, like porcelain, and his eyes were the color of polished silver. Although the blonde was, Harry grudgingly admitted, _beautiful_, his face wasn't what captured the prince's attention. Even now, every time he looked to the demon, his eyes immediately focused on the thick, curled white horns sitting on top of neatly slicked blonde hair.

The smile that was once on the prince's face fell off completely, and was soon replaced by a deep scowl.

"Damn it…" He muttered, "Why are _you_ here?"

The demon placed a look of hurt on his face, and lifted a dainty hand to his chest. "Oh! Your Highness, you _wound _me!" As quickly as it came, the hurt was gone. The demon's trademark smirk was back, and his eyes slowly wandered up Harry's body in a way that made the prince incredibly uncomfortable. "Now, Price Charming, can you tell me why you're dressed in rags?"

Harry crossed his arms over his chest, but he couldn't help but glance down at himself. The clothes were from the son of one of the palace kitchen's cooks. They hung loosely off of his slender frame, and billowed like sheets every time there was a strong wind. The worst part was he looked even smaller when he wore them. He looked more like a malnourished peasant boy than the famed Prince of Gryffindor. (Harry supposed that was the point, but still.) "I—well—that's none of your business!"

He flushed darkly, "Now tell me why you're here."

Blonde eyebrows waggled inappropriately, "Is that a command?"

Harry threw his hands up, and began to walk in the other direction. There was no use talking to the demon.

The demon began showing up in his dreams when he turned nine years old. Since then, the demon has appeared every other night or so. He's told no one of his strange visitor, since he didn't want rumors that the prince was insane to start circulating. He hoped they would stop on their own.

Nine years later, he still didn't know _why_ the demon visited him, or if it was truly a demon at all. All he really knew was that the blonde called himself Draco, and had a tendency to stare at his rear when he thought Harry wasn't looking.

Before he could even walk two steps, Draco appeared in front of him. "Don't be like that, darling," he took the spot next to Harry, and slung a lithe arm around the human's shoulders. "I'm just keeping an eye on you, after all."

Green eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

Draco shrugged casually, and smiled knowingly. "How else do you think that witch hasn't found you yet? Luck? Hmph. I don't think so, darling."

Harry gaped at him. "Are you saying that—"

"Goodbye, Harry-dear."

"Wait!"

**HPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFG**

"Hey, wake up!"

Harry groaned as rough hands slapped lightly at his face. He pushed those hands away, and slowly opened his eyes.

"Ow, what the hell?" He grumbled, "why are you hitting me?"

Mika let her hands drop to her sides, and walked back over to the window. "You were screaming like a little girl," she said, glancing out the window quickly.

"Really?" A light blush of embarrassment spread over Harry's face. "Did I…Did I say anything?"

The blonde twirled a long lock of hair around her finger. "Oh, nothing," she smirked, "you were just yelling some guy's name at the top of your lungs…"

The blush on his face grew more intense. "I did NOT!"

"_Draco! Draco!" _She mocked, batting her eyelashes as she grinned teasingly at her charge. "Who's this Draco person?"

"No one!"

"Let me guess…naughty stable boy?"

"SHUT UP!"

**HPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFG**

After a quick breakfast on the go, consisting only of a few apples and bread, they were back on the trail.

Harry wasn't much of a morning-person and even more so when he was forced to ride a horse for five or six hours. "Look alive, Potter," Mika called from her spot ahead of him, "only five hours to go." He forced a lackluster, "yay…" and continued to slump over the head of his horse, who did not appreciate it at all, but managed to bear with it.

"Say, where are we going?" He asked. He kept his eyes closed, and chose to leave the navigating to his horse.

"Far, far away," was the enigmatic answer he received. "Why? Do you have somewhere you need to be—somewhere with a 'Draco,' perhaps?" She snickered.

"Just drop the Draco thing, alright?" He blushed. "And can you just give me a straight answer this one time? I'd really like to know where we're going."

"The next town," Mika said, finally giving in, "I think it's called Cattenberry or something… I don't know." She shrugged. "Your father said we could stay there for a few days with a close friend of his."

Harry's brow furrowed as he tried to remember the town. The name certainly wasn't familiar. Also, he was sure that all of his father's close friends resided in the palace… but he could be mistaken. Besides, if it prevents them from staying in ratty inns, he would take a cottage any day.

"Hey, Mika," he started. His only indication that the woman was listening was the sight of her inclining her head slightly to the side. "Do you do this sort of thing all the time?"

She snorted. "What, babysitting?"

He huffed, and chose to ignore that. "_No._ I mean, I don't know… what _do_ you do, anyway?"

"A lot of things, I guess." She looked at the prince from over her shoulder. "What's with the sudden interest? Yesterday you could barely even talk to me."

He tangled his fingers in the horse's mane, and got an irritated huff in return. "Well, can you blame me for trying to get to know my 'protector' a little better? I don't know anything about you, other than your name. If it even is your real name." He grumbled to himself.

"If it makes you feel better," she replied, "it _is _my real name. And uh…" She struggled to come up with something to tell the boy—er, young man. "I'm twenty-two years old, and I love… pie."

"Pie?" Harry repeated, staring at his guardian with renewed interest. "Really? What kind?"

"…Cherry, I suppose."

"Oh." Harry smiled, for the very first time since they left the palace, albeit just slightly, "me, too."

They spent most of the ride in peaceful silence.

**HPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFG**

Around three hours later, they stopped for a quick break. Although normally Mika would have taken Harry with her wherever she was going, but when nature calls, one answers.

"Stay _here._" Mika ordered as she hopped off her horse. "I'll be back soon. Do _not_ go anywhere."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright. Calm down."

So, there Harry was. He sat quietly in the forest clearing with the two horses. He broke off a bit of their remaining loaf of bread, and tried to feed it to one of the horses. It didn't bite.

Twenty minutes later, Mika still hadn't come back, and the prince was starting to get a little anxious.

"Man-hands isn't back yet, huh?"

Harry jumped, but somehow managed to keep his yelp of surprise in. He turned a fierce glare on the blonde demon sitting primly next to him.

"Don't worry, you've still got me, princey-poo." Draco smiled.

"What did you do with her?" Harry demanded, and scrambled to his feet.

"_Relax_," The demon stood gracefully, and reached out to the human. Ice-cold fingers playfully pinched and tugged at Harry's cheek, and he promptly slapped the hand away. "She's fine, I promise. I just made her get a little lost, is all. She'll be back in an hour or so."

"But I need her _here_," Harry said, frustrated and worried beyond belief, "we have to get going! It's going to get dark soon." Green eyes darted all around the trees surrounding them. He wasn't sure what was lurking around in the woods, but he _was_ sure of the fact that he didn't want to find out.

Draco's infuriating smile grew wider. "Oh, don't be like that, darling." He cooed, "Somewhere down the road, you'll look back on this and thank me."

Harry was almost too afraid to ask, but he did. "What the hell do you mean by _that_?"

"I don't want to ruin the surprise," the demon shrugged, "but trust me; you're going to have to stay here for tonight."

"What, but, Draco—"

"Nope. Sorry, can't tell you."

Harry ran his hand roughly through his hair, and barely restrained himself from throttling the demon. "Okay, since you can't answer that question, can you tell me what you meant last night?"

Draco stared at him with "innocent" eyes. "Whatever are you talking about, darling?"

"You know, that—that thing you said about the witch not being able to find me!" Harry flushed with slowly brewing anger.

"Hm…don't remember _that_…" Draco drawled, but the smirk that remained on his face told the prince otherwise.

"You _do—"_

"Okay, darling, I am very busy. Until next time!"

**HPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFG**

Harry woke up with a start. He looked around, and he was still in the clearing. One of the horses was nipping at his sleeve, while the other had its face buried in his bag, eating the remaining two apples he'd stored for later.

He was too pissed off about Draco to do anything about the second horse, but he did manage to shake off the one trying to eat his shirt.

When he looked around, he noticed Mika still hadn't returned. He started to panic when he remembered what Draco said about "making her lost."

It was right then that the bushes behind him started to rustle. Harry quickly got to his feet, and picked up what was nearby—a stick. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. He gripped it tightly as something began to peek out of the bushes. He lifted the stick over his head and was about to hit whatever it was when he saw—

"What the hell do you plan to do with _that_?" Mika raised a brow at him as she picked the stray twigs out of her hair.

Harry let out a long sigh, and plopped onto the ground. He tossed the stick at her, but it fell short, and landed at her feet.

"What about you?" He replied, "why'd you take so long?" He remembered what Draco told him, but he could only put so much trust in a figment of his imagination.

"…Don't wanna talk about it." She replied, and if he didn't know any better, he would have thought that she was blushing. She sat down against the tree across from him, and pulled her bag onto her lap.

"Did you get lost?" Harry grinned. "You did, didn't you?"

Mika glared at him, but said nothing else.

Later, she tossed him a small canteen of water and some bread. The sun was already setting, and she didn't think it would be smart to keep going, not when it would be dark in less than an hour or so.

When she told Harry that they would be staying, he couldn't help but feel a shiver of uncertainty run through him.

Draco's words rang fresh in his mind. _"You're going to have to stay here for tonight."_

"Why?" He said quietly to himself, not noticing the puzzled look he received from Mika.

**HPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFG**

Fenrir Greyback was starting to regret leaving his den behind.

That cave had been pleasantly warm both in the summer and the winter, and was hidden deep within the vast wilderness.

Yet, though he would never admit it out loud, he was starting to get… lonely. Companionship was something he craved—no, _needed_—and that longing would no longer go unanswered. He left the comfort of his home in order to find the one meant just for him—his mate.

So far, he'd been traveling for almost a month, with no luck whatsoever.

Sure, he'd bedded a few women here and there (mostly whores at brothels), but those lays did nothing to sate the fire burning in the pit of his stomach. He wouldn't rest until he found his mate and claimed them properly. After that, he would work towards building the pack he's wanted desperately for _years._

He looked to the sky, and a feral grin slid over his chapped lips as he watched the sun set.

Tonight was going to be a full moon, and he couldn't help but feel lucky. It was as if there was a soft, velvety voice in the very back of his brain leading him to where he had to go—to where his mate would be waiting for him. And until he found his mate, he would gladly listen to that voice.

**HPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFG**

Draco watched the beast of a man silently from his safe perch atop one of the many trees in the forest. His fingers tapped quietly against the thick bark as an amused smile played upon his lips. _Oh, this is just _excellent_._ He thought to himself as he continued to lead the wolf in the right direction. Don't get him wrong; he had no ill will against his cute, little prince. But this was just too good to pass up. So he wasn't going to.

**HPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFG**

End of Chapter 2

That's all for that one. There'll be a little more exposition in the next chapter, and there will also be more Fenrir xD

I hope this chapter wasn't too long-winded…I just started writing, and this is where it led me!

Anyway, please leave a review, or follow/favorite the story! It helps me keep writing when I know that there are people who actually want to read the story. :3

Thanks for your time & thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer****- I do not own Harry Potter.**

Chapter Three

Fenrir was so close; he could already smell his mate. From what he could smell, he was sure his mate was male and fairly young. Fenrir licked his lips at one particular detail he picked up—his mate was still _pure._

_Turn right,_ the voice in his head spoke up once again, _and he'll be right there waiting for you._

Normally, he would have been concerned that he was hearing voices in his head, but after years of chasing ghosts, he was starting to think anything was better than nothing.

He ran stealthily through the woods, the darkness concealing his form almost completely.

Although the moon hung full in the sky, the light was dim, and hidden behind a mass of dark clouds. Fenrir had transformed almost as soon as the moon rose, and was now in complete wolf-form.

He was an immensely large creature, a tiny bit bigger than he was as a man. His eyes were a cold, steel-blue, and his fur was a dirty, brownish-gray.

He was running for at least ten minutes when the voice cut in again, _Stop! Right there, he's right there. _Fenrir lifted his head, and looked around, sniffing the air curiously. The voice was right (again).

The scent grew stronger in the direction the voice pointed out. Fenrir's mouth was already watering.

After years of longing for his mate, he was finally going to have him. And he was going to take him—damn anyone, or anything, that stood in his way.

**HPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFG**

_They were fourteen years old when Ginny's feelings started getting serious. _

_Harry was only about two inches taller than he was when they first met, but Ginny shot up, and grew to be tall for her age. She was around five inches taller than Harry, but had yet to grow out anywhere else. She was incredibly skinny and pale, and painfully shy around anyone who wasn't a member of her family. Especially when it came to Harry. _

_It was in the middle of summer, and the pair was in the garden, sitting by the fountain. Harry was throwing leaves into the water, while Ginny played with the stem of a daisy the prince picked for her._

"…_ny…Ginny!" _

_The redhead was startled out of her thoughts, and pushed away the hand waving around in front of her face. "What is it?" She asked, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible. She kept her eyes on the flower, and basically anything else that wasn't Harry. _

_When her long, messy red hair fell in front of her face, Harry smiled, and tucked it gently behind her ear. The girl's blush went unnoticed. She ended up slapping his hand away, and Harry's smile faltered. _

"_What's going on with you?" He asked, "You've been really…weird lately." _

_Ginny managed a quick glance at the boy, and then returned to staring at the daisy. This was her chance, was the thought that first entered her mind. _

_This was her chance to tell her best friend that she was kind of, sort of, in love with him. _

_She grimaced. And then what? Ruin their friendship forever? _

"_It's nothing, Harry," she mumbled, "I'm fine, really." _

"_Give me some credit, Ginny," Harry focused an unwavering stare on the girl, frowning in determination. "I'm not an idiot. You haven't been able to look me in the eye for over a year now. Why? Did I make you mad?" _

"_No!" Ginny answered immediately, "I'm not mad at you! I just…I…I…" I love you, were the words she wanted to say. That's what her heart wanted her to say, but her mind was in control._

"_You…?" Harry prompted, arching a brow._

"_I think you look…really similar to the guy I like." Was all she could manage to say. Half of her didn't want him to know—ever—but the other part desperately wanted Harry to figure this out on his own. (If he ever did.)_

_Her heart began to beat nervously when she saw that the wary look on Harry's face had yet to fade, but then both relief and disappointment rushed through her when the prince's expression melted into a smile. _

"_Aw, you like someone?" He grinned, and slung an arm around her shoulders, "who's the lucky guy? Is it anyone I know?" _

_Although a part of her stung a little at his words, and his casual reaction, Ginny forced a little smile. _

"_Yeah, I guess you could say that." _

**HPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFG**

Harry watched the exchange between the past-him, and his best friend. With a dull ache in his chest, he shook his head, and changed it to ex-best friend.

"Why are you showing me this?" He looked to the demon standing at his side. His eyes shone with barely-restrained contempt.

Draco smiled enigmatically. His eyes remained on the fourteen-year-olds projected before them. "What? You think I'm planning something other than reminding you of a pleasant memory?"

Harry's frown said it all.

"Okay, okay," Draco raised his hands in surrender, "I _do _have something planned, but it's nothing 'sinister,' I assure you."

The prince still looked unconvinced.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Fine, if you want to know so badly, I'll tell you." The grin that spread over the demon's face was almost wide enough to split his face in two. "But not now."

"Draco—"

"Calm down, darling," the blonde laughed, "we've got plenty of time. I say, just enjoy what you've got here." He gestured all around them, at the garden, to the teenagers splashing each other with fountain water. "I know you miss her. Enjoy this. This may be the last time you'll see her in a while."

Before Harry could get a word in, the demon was gone.

Harry looked back at the scene. He remembered this. This happened exactly a year before things between Ginny and he started getting worse.

**HPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFG**

Harry woke up in the middle of the night.

Something was licking his face, and the prince laughed, thinking it was one of the horses. "Stop it…" He said drowsily, trying to push it away. He slowly woke up when he felt thick, bushy fur beneath his fingers.

He was fairly sure horses didn't have thick, bushy fur. At least the ones they had.

His eyes shot open when sharp teeth nipped at his fingertips.

It was almost pitch-dark when he opened his eyes. The fire Mika built had faded to small embers. But when his eyes finally adjusted to the lack of light, he made out a large shadow crouched right in front of him.

Whatever it was, it was _huge._ He shut his eyes tightly, and pressed back against the tree he was lying against. His hands scrambled for something, anything, to fight the creature off. He was stopped when two massive paws stepped on his hands, and the creature nipped at his shoulder roughly.

Harry flinched at the feeling of sharp teeth piercing through his clothes, and barely grazing against his skin. The creature's moist, warm breath pressed against his neck, and made him shiver.

"Mika…" He practically whimpered, and kept his eyes shut tightly, "Mika, wake up!"

At the sound of a low warning growl, Harry shut his mouth.

**HPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFG**

Mika woke up almost as soon as the wolf stepped into their little 'camp.'

She kept herself relaxed, and breathed evenly through her nose, as if she were still asleep. She did her best to remain undetected by the wolf, but nevertheless, she was still surprised.

When she got lost, she took her time to look through the area around the clearing. She didn't find any dens nearby, but then again, wolves were known for traveling far, especially when it was for something they wanted.

And this one clearly wanted Harry very badly.

The reason she didn't spring into action immediately was that this wolf was different. Mika had some run-ins with a few werewolves here and there, and most of them were hungry, and looking for one thing—food.

This one wasn't hungry. It didn't approach Harry like a predator would prey. The way this wolf approached over to Harry was careful, in a way a human would walk up to a small animal. This wolf didn't want to scare Harry. He just wanted to get close to him.

But why?

Mika opened her eyes at the sound of soft, lapping sounds. It was _licking _him. Now it was starting to seem less like a werewolf, and more like a dog.

Slowly, she was starting to realize what was going on here.

The wolf approached Harry, but wasn't looking for a meal. He was _licking_ Harry, but didn't seem to want to bite him with the intention of devouring him.

From what she could see, it looked as if the wolf was rubbing against Harry as well.

_Ah, _she thought, _it's marking him._

"Mika… Mika, wake up!"

Oh. Harry was awake. Mika was about to get up when the wolf growled. So it knew she was awake.

"Calm down, Harry," she spoke lowly, in a calm, passive tone. She didn't want to alert the wolf. "It's not going to hurt you."

"That's easy for you to say." Harry bit out, sounding more vulnerable and scared than anything else. "Wh-what is this thing?"

Mika saw the wolf nudge its head against the side of the prince's face, and Harry whimpered. Having rows of razor sharp teeth does that to a person.

"Werewolf," she replied, getting slowly to her feet while the wolf was thoroughly distracted with Harry. Silently, she crept over to the small, makeshift fire pit she constructed earlier. "Keep him busy for me, will you?"

"M-Mika!" The prince yelped as he felt those sharp teeth pinch lightly at his neck, but not breaking through the skin. "Wh-what the hell?" Those teeth dug in a little bit more, and Harry once again tried pushing the wolf away. No luck.

"Calm down," Mika repeated as she slowly began the process of relighting the fire. "It's not going to hurt you now, but it might think it has to if you keep panicking like that."

When the small, ashy pile of wood began smoking, the wolf turned to look at Mika. Momentarily, its eyes flashed, and Mika paused. When it turned back to Harry, she restarted, this time faster.

**HPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFG**

Fenrir was overcome with happiness when he finally found his mate.

He nearly pounced on the boy, but restrained himself. When he crept closer to his mate, he noticed just how small the boy really was.

He could see fairly well in the dark, but it wasn't the same as seeing things in the daytime. He wanted to know what color his mate's skin was, his lips, his hair, and his eyes. For now, though, he was content with simply having found the boy.

If he could have in his current form, he would have smiled. His mate was beautiful. He was young and petite, with messy, thick hair, and astonishingly long eyelashes. His nose was rounded, and his lips were plump and utterly kissable.

Fenrir almost regretted the fact that he was a wolf right now.

Other than marking the boy, he couldn't do anything else.

When his mate woke up, he was treated to the sight of large, innocent eyes. The first thing he wanted to do when he turned in the morning was learn the color of those eyes.

However, he couldn't help but grow upset when the first thing he heard that sweet voice call was the name of another. He growled, warning his mate. The boy needed to know who he belonged to.

The only name he wanted to hear his mate calling was _his_.

He bit lightly at several spots on the human's body—his neck, his shoulder, and his chest. The boy struggled against him, and Fenrir could feel that with each passing moment, his mate was just getting more and more worked up. He wanted the human to relax. He was safe now, safer than he'd ever been, in fact.

When he smelled smoke, Fenrir turned his head, and fixed the woman behind them with a look. He truthfully hadn't noticed her before, but now that he did, he gave her a silent warning to back off.

He certainly didn't come here for her, and he wasn't going to leave until he got what he wanted.

**HPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFG**

From behind his eyelids, Harry saw a bright, orange light.

He faintly heard Mika's voice telling him to open his eyes through the 'werewolf's' heavy breathing. Slowly, he did as he was told, and his eyes fluttered open.

The shadow the creature cast over him shielded his eyes from most of the light, but still allowed him to see the beast crouched in front of him, not a foot away from his face.

It was, indeed, a wolf. An enormous one—bigger than any canine Harry had ever seen. His eyes took in its dirty, gray fur, then its large, twitching ears. His eyes moved up, and caught the wolf's gaze.

He was almost immediately drawn in by the blue-steel orbs.

Although the eyes were cold and sharp, Harry felt an unmistakable warmth shoot through him. He felt as if he could be engulfed in those eyes, and he simply wouldn't care.

Slowly, he lifted a hand, and shakily reached towards the wolf. It met him halfway, and nuzzled against his open palm. For a moment, Harry relished the coarse, cold fur that pressed against his skin.

He let out a quiet, slightly hysterical chuckle right before he promptly passed out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer****- I do not own Harry Potter.**

Chapter Four

When Harry fainted, Mika and the then unknown wolf were the only ones left awake.

It made itself comfortable, curling around Harry's unconscious body protectively, while she sat down by the fire. She pulled her knees to her chest, and stared at the wolf.

She had only _heard_ of werewolves taking humans as their mates. She didn't know if it was common or uncommon, but this was the first time she was seeing it in person. The hunter in her told her this was fascinating, something to remember for future jobs, while the woman in her couldn't help but say _aww._

As the prince slept, Mika counted down the hours left until dawn. While she did so, the wolf paid her no mind. It was fully content doting over the slumbering prince, nuzzling the young man's head and licking his cheek once in a while.

The few hours remaining passed by in a flash since Mika had dozed off a little. When she woke up, she was not surprised to find a large, muscular man naked, and practically wrapped around the prince. (But she had to admit that the view was quite nice.)

They spoke quietly to one another, with Mika initiating the conversation. She, of course, started with an introduction, since it was quite clear that the wolf was suspicious of her. She wanted to establish that she was not a threat to either him or his mate.

After that, he grunted out his name and after a few slightly prying questions, told Mika how he ended up with them of all places.

She relaxed considerably once she got the confirmation that he was, in fact, Harry's mate.

Werewolves, by nature, were very strong. They were a total bitch to kill, and Fenrir in particular looked quite powerful. Having the wolf around would make her job infinitely easier. (Really, it wasn't as if Fenrir was going to leave, anyway.)

So, it looked like Fenrir would be staying with them (mostly Harry) for quite a while.

As Fenrir settled in to get some sleep, Mika smiled, and decided that rather than telling her charge, she would let him figure it out for himself.

**HPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFG**

Harry had never been attracted to girls.

This was something he never shared with his parents or his friends. It wasn't even something he had fully come to terms with.

After all, when you're practically the most desirable bachelor in an _entire kingdom_, the one person _all_ the women want, it's hard to admit that you prefer men.

That's why it was so bittersweet when he woke up the next morning, wrapped tightly in the arms of one very muscular, very hairy, and very _naked_ man.

The first thing Harry did was struggle as hard as he could. Five minutes later, the arms around him were tighter, and he was a little tired.

He grunted as he finally gave up, and slumped against the hard chest pressed up against his back.

He was about to start struggling again when he heard someone laughing quietly to his side.

He turned his head, and saw Mika standing there. She had a hand over her mouth, which just barely stifled her laughter.

"You look like you're enjoying yourself," she said after finally composing herself. She took a seat on the other side of the fire pit.

Harry decided to ignore her little comment. "Are you going to help me out or not?" He asked, glaring at the blonde. "Isn't that what you're here for, anyway—to protect me?"

She waved a nonchalant hand, and proceeded to look through her satchel. "You're perfectly safe where you are," she assured him, although it wasn't very reassuring, "so feel free to yank that royal stick out of your ass and relax."

He sputtered, blushing indignantly as he tried to find the words to retort. "You—you—! You're the worst!"

She shrugged. "Thank you, I do try…" She grinned, and added, "Besides, even if I did want to help you 'escape'—and I don't—I'd be an idiot to try and separate a werewolf from its mate."

"Mate? What are you talking about?" Although he tried desperately to contain his panic, he couldn't help but freak out just a little bit. "You—you don't mean what I think you mean, do you?"

"That depends on what you think I mean," she was enjoying this far too much.

"I'm…I'm…"

"Stuck with me." A gruff, deep voice cut in right then.

Harry jumped a little, and immediately looked up at the wolf wrapped around him. He would never, _ever_ admit it out loud, but he felt his heart skip a beat when he took in the face above his.

The wolf, although he could use a good bath, was ruggedly handsome.

He had cold, steel-blue eyes that felt as if in one glance, he would be able to figure out every single one of Harry's darkest secrets. His earth-brown hair was let down, hanging loosely just below the nape of his neck. His jaw was strong, square, and complete with a thick, slightly bushy goatee.

This man—wolf, whatever—was nothing like the noblemen Harry had encountered. They were all tall, and lithe, and polished in every sense of the word. While the owner of the arms around him was the complete opposite

"Good morning, Fenrir,"

Harry was pulled forcibly from his thoughts by Mika's singsong tone.

The only response she received was a grunt, followed by a yawn.

Narrowed, green eyes shifted (just a bit reluctantly) away from 'Fenrir,' and focused on his so-called guardian.

"How do you know his name?" He demanded, "Is he a friend of yours? Are you playing some twisted little joke on me?"

"A few hours after you fainted—"

"I did not—!"

"—Fenrir here turned back into a human. Then, we got to talking, and he told me everything. Naturally, we learned each other's names." Mika explained as she responded to Harry's glare with a highly amused smirk. "Oh, don't worry, I told him your name, too."

Oh, Harry wasn't worried about _that_. What he was now thinking was that 1) Mika was the worst bodyguard _ever_, and 2) when Fenrir finally lets go of him, he was going to throttle her.

Fenrir said nothing, but the grin spreading over his lips said it all. So his Harry was a fiery one, was he? This was going to be fun.

**HPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFG**

"Can you put me down now?" Harry grumbled.

"No," Fenrir answered. "I'm pretty comfortable right now."

"I'm not," the prince shot back, "so _please_, if you could just—"

"Harry, things would go by a lot quicker if you would accept it already. You two are soul mates. Meant for each other, and all that." Mika called back from her spot ahead of them. She was riding on top of her usual, dark brown mount, while Harry's horse was followed behind her.

"Shut up!" Harry yelled, blushing furiously, "I don't want to talk to _you_!"

Mika laughed, but left him alone anyway. The prince looked up, and felt the urge to punch the man at the sight of that infuriatingly smug smirk. Fenrir met his eyes, and grinned, showing off sharp teeth. Teeth that could kill him easily—or at least maim him.

Harry looked away, and missed the disappointed frown on the wolf's face.

Hours earlier, after Fenrir had let him go, Harry finally managed to get some straight answers out of Mika.

Yes, the man was in fact a werewolf. No, he wasn't going to kill him. Lastly, yes, they were bound forever as mates because of fate…or something like that.

It was after the words 'soul mates' left Mika's lips that Harry had passed out once again.

When he woke up, it was a little after noon, and he was moving, but he wasn't walking. His horse was with the blonde ahead of them.

He looked down, and he saw arms around him, the same ones from that morning, carrying him.

Oh, this whole situation just smelled of Mika. When (if, a darker corner of his mind supplied) he got back to the palace, he was definitely telling his father everything. He was going to make sure she got half the hell she was giving him.

"Aren't your arms tired?" Harry asked after about half an hour, "You can put me down, you know. Believe it or not, my legs are for walking, too, not just for looking pretty."

"Oh, really?" Fenrir said, sparing his mate a quick glance and a little smile, "I wasn't aware of that. But they do look pretty, now that you mention it."

Harry blushed, and looked away. Unconsciously, his hands moved onto his knees, and tried to cover his legs, but couldn't. The wolf noticed this, and didn't even bother to stifle his laugh.

"Stop laughing at me," the prince muttered, his eyes averted, "it's annoying."

Fenrir didn't stop. In fact, he laughed harder. Harry slapped at the wolf's chest, but it was like slapping a wall. Blue-gray eyes looked fondly down at the sulking prince.

What a silly human his mate was.

**HPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFG**

"Well, here we are," Mika climbed off her horse, and started walking down the cobblestone streets. Harry woke up at the sound of Fenrir's voice, well, waking him up.

He didn't even realize he'd fallen asleep. In Fenrir's arms no less. "Oh, God…" He muttered, just barely stopping himself from slapping his own forehead.

Fenrir arched a questioning brow. "Is everything alright?" He asked; he couldn't help being concerned.

"It's nothing, nothing at all," Harry said quickly, "can you let me down _now_, please?" He flushed even darker, "people…people are looking…" He squirmed uncomfortably, and pushed down on the arms that definitely weren't budging.

Fenrir wasn't planning on letting go. However, after a while, he set the human down on his feet. It would just cause unwanted attention if he was carrying around someone who was fighting tooth and nail to get away.

When Harry was finally put down, he had to admit that he missed the feeling of walking on his own feet. Although he couldn't help but feel a little…colder now. He brushed that particular feeling away, and walked quickly, trying to catch up to Mika.

As he walked, he looked all around him. This town was much bigger than Piddlebrook. The buildings were small, but there were more of them—and there were actual streets. That was an improvement.

When they passed right by the inn (the building was much larger than anything he'd seen in Piddlebrook), Harry was a little confused.

That was, until he remembered that they weren't going to stay at an inn, not here. Mika had mentioned something about his father's close friend offering them a place to stay.

It was then that Mika stopped abruptly. Harry skidded in his tracks, and nearly bumped into one of the horses. He stumbled back, but fortunately he was caught before he could fall onto his rear.

Unfortunately, it was Fenrir who caught him.

The wolf gave him one of those annoying grins of his, and Harry pulled away from him before anything else could happen.

"What the hell?" He grumbled as he walked up to the blonde, "what're we stopping here for?"

Mika nodded to the building in front of them, "this is where your father's friend lives."

Harry looked up. It was a quaint, two-story building. Right by the second-floor window hung a sign decorated with painted pictures of bottles and a bubbling cauldron.

"A potions shop…?" Harry said slowly. A part of him remembered this place… but he couldn't place it.

"Yep," Mika dug through her satchel and retrieved a small slip of parchment. "It says here, it's run by a potions master by the name of—"

"Can I help you?" A soft, polite voice spoke up from behind them.

Harry turned, and saw a young woman—about his age standing there. She was about an inch shorter than he was (which was rare), with a head of bushy, brown hair. Her dark eyes were sparkling with intelligence, and her posture was straight. She wore a thick, brown cloak over a humble, blue dress.

In her arms, she carried some books and a bag filled with what looked to be empty bottles.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, you can," Mika cut in, pushing Harry behind her before he could get a word in, "we were invited to stay here for a couple of days," she explained, "can we come in?"

The brunette looked at them for a while (her gaze lingered the longest on Fenrir) before she responded. "Oh! I remember now. Come in, come in." She fished the shop keys out of her bag, and quickly unlocked the door.

"Please, make yourself comfortable," she said as she rushed in, and headed straight for another room. "I'll be with you in a moment!"

The place looked larger on the inside than it did from the outside. The parlor was tidy, and a little empty, actually. Bookshelves seemed to line the wall of nearly every room, and other than the small couch and a table, nothing was inside the parlor.

When Fenrir stepped in, the floors creaked a little beneath him, and for a moment, Harry was a little nervous that the wolf would fall straight through it.

The brunette came back in the room five minutes later with tea and some pastries balanced on a tray. She pulled in some more chairs from the dining room, and put them on the opposite side of the table.

As she set the tray down on the table, she started pouring tea in each of the cups. "Well, I'm Hermione Granger," she said, pushing a tea cup to Harry, then one to Fenrir, who just stared at it, but made no move to touch it. "What brings you to Cattenberry?"

"Um…I'm Harry," he said, not too sure whether it was alright or not if he gave her his real name, "and this one's Fenrir. The blonde that _was _here," Harry looked around and saw that she was, indeed, gone, "her name's Mika. We're just trying…to take a little vacation, I suppose."

Hermione stared at him, and it was clear she wasn't fully convinced.

"I took the horses out back," Mika said as she walked in, dusting her hands off, "did I miss anything?"

"Nothing," Hermione said, she met Mika at the door with a smile, and shut it behind her. "I'm Hermione, by the way," she led the blonde over to a seat, and passed her some tea. "I was just asking these two how you ended up here, of all places." She shrugged, "not many people want to come here. Not much to see, or do."

"Well, peace and quiet's just what we're looking for," Mika said, "we needed to take a break or something like that." Although her tone was casual, her posture stated that she was unwilling to talk more about the subject.

Hermione, as well as everyone else in the room, picked up on this and dropped it.

"Ah, I see," she said, "Well… peace and quiet's just what you'll get here. My employer isn't the talkative type."

Fenrir, who'd been fidgeting since he sat on the couch, abruptly got up, and walked out of the building. He wasn't the sitting type, and he needed some fresh air. The three left behind stared after him curiously, but said nothing until the door closed.

"What's with him?" Hermione asked, "Did I say anything to offend him?"

"No," Harry assured her, "he's just not the indoorsy type."

She nodded in understanding.

"Is he here?" Mika suddenly asked, "Your employer, I mean."

"I think he went out this morning," Hermione said, "something about a supply run… He should be back around this time, though." She glanced at the door.

"What's he like?" Harry asked curiously, "Is he nice?"

Hermione snorted, rolling her eyes. "That isn't the word _I'd_ use, but you never know," she shrugged, and got up. "You could always ask him yourself. I think that's him at the door."

From the corner of his eye, Harry noticed a dark silhouette pass by the window. The doorknob turned, and the door pushed open slowly.

He paled as he saw the tall, literally dark figure standing in the doorway. _Now_, he remembered.

_Severus Snape._

**HPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFGxHPxFG**

End of Chapter 4.

A/N: Hey, guys! I had fun writing this chapter... At first, I was going to have Harry & the gang stay with the Weasleys...but I love Snape. I just had to work him into this story somehow, because originally, he wasn't going to be in it. ^^;

Please leave a review, and thank you very much for reading!


	5. Chapter 5 Ginny's Side

**Disclaimer****- I do not own Harry Potter.**

Chapter Five_- Ginny's Side_

"_What are you doing?" _A soft, meek voice in the very back of the redhead's mind spoke up weakly, _"You said you wouldn't hurt him…you promised you would—"_

"Oh, shut up!" the same voice, stronger and rougher this time, barked. "_I_ won't do anything to your fancy little prince…" It hissed, "I'm just trying to look for him…bring him here…to _you_. Isn't that what you want?"

"_I…I want…I just want to go home." _In the back of the young woman's mind, a little girl curled up, hugging her knees tightly to her chest. _"Please stop! I don't want this anymore!" _

A laugh—a long, sinister laugh was her reply. "I'm very sorry, love," the voice was amused and almost sympathetic. "But a deal's a deal, Miss Weasley. You're stuck with me until the end."

The little girl lifted her eyes—swollen and bloodshot—from her hands. She stared out into the seemingly never-ending darkness around her.

"_The…the end," _she repeated, "_Wh—what are you talking about?"_

"You will be keeping me company," it drawled, "until your precious Prince Harry is dead."

**GSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGS**

When they were fifteen years old, Harry and Ginny started growing apart.

The King and Queen were very intent on finding a bride for their son, while Harry started focusing on his studies.

Ginny was also putting all of her energy into her own studies, but that didn't lessen the hurt. She missed her best friend. She missed Harry's voice, his laugh, the way his eyes lit up when she said something he thought was funny—she missed everything.

To make matters worse, princesses from different kingdoms, along with many other noblewomen started visiting the palace regularly.

From the small classroom she and about ten other kids her age studied, she would watch the most beautiful women she had ever laid eyes on walk into the throne room.

She dreaded the day when one of those women would walk out, and no longer be just another princess, or lady, or duchess—but Princess of Gryffindor, Mrs. Harry Potter.

As a result of her longing and constant worry, her marks were slowly slipping away. Her teachers became concerned, but Ginny assured them she was alright.

She would get through this, she told herself. Harry was her best friend, and whoever he chose to be with…She would be happy for him. But it was hard to believe her mind, when the ache in her chest was telling her otherwise.

**GSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGS**

Her mother was the head cook in the palace's main kitchen. But as much as Ginny loved her mother, from the time she was a child she'd always wanted to be just like her father.

Arthur Weasley was a certified wizard, and worked in the King's court.

She wanted to finish her studies and become a witch, so when her father retired, she would then take his place.

However, this dream was slowly slipping through her fingers.

She tried to keep herself focused, but after the third failed test, it was becoming apparent that she needed help.

Finals were just around the corner. Her teacher had warned her specifically that if she didn't receive high marks on it, she would have to repeat her studies for another year.

"Are you alright, dear?" Her mother's voice drifted through the door.

Ginny was startled from her thoughts, and slapped at her cheeks to wake herself up. She quickly scanned the papers laid out, and cringed when she realized she hadn't started on any of them.

"I—I'm fine," she called back, "just studying!"

"Oh, alright," there was a pause, "do you need any help?"

"I'm fine!" Ginny repeated, her voice firmer.

"Okay, dear," her mother said, "I'll leave you alone now."

When her mother's footsteps faded away, Ginny slumped against her desk, laying her cheek against one of her papers. "God…" She groaned, shutting her eyes tightly.

She breathed deeply in through her nose, and sighed. "Alright," she sat up, "I can do this." She nodded. "I know I can."

**GSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGS**

The next week, she ended up in the dining room alone with her father. She sat at the table next to him, and kept her eyes down. She couldn't stand to look at her father and see the disappointment in his eyes.

"Ginny…what in the world is going on with you?"

"I…I don't know," she mumbled, "I really don't know…"

Arthur reached out, and laid a gentle hand on top of his daughter's shoulder.

"You can tell me anything," He said, "you know that, don't you?"

"Yes, of course," she said, meeting his eyes for just a moment before returning them to the ground. "I…I just don't have anything to tell."

"Are you sure?" He let his hand drop, and took the papers from the table. He glanced over them, and then looked back to his daughter. "At the beginning of the year, you were at the top of the class." He ran a hand roughly through his thinning hair. "Now, I have a letter that says you are going to be held back for another year!"

He tried to keep his voice down, but it was hard.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice wavering. She bit her lip and tried to keep the tears away.

Arthur saw Ginny's eyes watering, and let out a long sigh. "Don't apologize to me," he said quietly, "I'm not the one whose hard work went to waste."

With those final words, he stood up, and left the room.

When he was gone, tears started dripping from her eyes. She reached up to wipe them away.

She wanted to stop crying, but she couldn't.

**GSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGS**

It was a few days after that she finally left her room. By force of habit, she walked to the garden. She sat by the fountain, where she and Harry used to meet.

"Hey."

Ginny jumped a little, and looked up at the young man with wide eyes.

"Harry?" Her eyes lit up, and she smiled for the first time in a few days. "What are you doing here?" She really didn't care. She was just glad he was here.

He sighed heavily, and sat down next to her.

"I'm taking a break," he said, "If I see another 'marriage candidate,' I think I'll scream." He leaned forward, and lightly ran his fingers on the surface of the water.

"And what about you?" He turned a serious look on the girl, "I heard about your studies."

Ginny blushed, both in shame and embarrassment. "How?" She asked, but she already knew the answer.

"Your brother," Harry shrugged, "he somehow managed to get a maid to slip me a note." He left out the fact that her brother also asked him to check up on her.

"I'm going to kill him," she muttered, clasping her hands tightly together.

"He's only worried about you," Harry said, patting her on the shoulder. "Don't be too hard on him."

She rolled her eyes, but moved past the subject.

"So…you probably don't want to talk about it, but…" She did. "Did you meet anyone you like?" She was anxious to know.

"Not really," he answered, "what about you? Whatever happened to the guy you liked last year?"

She blushed. "I…I haven't had the chance to…you know…"

"Ah." Harry nodded. "Why don't you?"

"Because…he's kind of…well…" She tried to come up with the right words, but it was difficult enough lying right to his face.

"He'll be lucky to have you, you know," Harry said, "so you should just tell him."

"Okay…" Ginny rubbed at the back of her neck. She _should_ tell him. Just to get it over with. She could tell him and put an end to the pointless longing and fantasizing.

"I…I…" She swallowed thickly, "I… like you, Harry."

He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, she held up a finger. "I'm not done," she said with renewed determination, "when I say 'I like you,' I mean that I _really_ like you…I might even love you…actually…"

"Oh." Harry said after a long pause. "_Oh._" His eyes widened as suddenly, everything made sense.

Ginny wrung her hands together, and looked at him. She couldn't help but feel hopeful that maybe, just maybe, he felt the same way. His next words destroyed all of that hope.

"I'm sorry," he ducked his head, and kept his eyes away from the redhead, "I…I like you, Ginny, but…"

"Not like _that_."

"…yes."

Ginny was prepared for rejection, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

"I'll just…I need to go now." She muttered, and got up. Despite Harry's objections, she quickly fled the garden.

**GSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGS**

Whatever happened after that was a complete blur.

How she ended up there, she doesn't remember. But the next thing she knew, she was in the palace's library.

She was only ever there during class hours, and while this place held no significant sentimental value, she knew no one would bother her here.

She was wrong.

"_Hello, Misss Weasssley…" _A raspy, cold voice spoke in her ear.

For the second time that day, she jumped in surprise. One hand clapped over her ear, while the other rubbed furiously at her eyes.

"Who's there?" She whipped her head around, and tried to see who the voice belonged to.

When she ran into the room, the lights were off. She didn't bother to turn them on, and so the room was nearly pitch-black. The only light source came from the sunset from outside the window and it wasn't much.

Suddenly, a red flame appeared out of nowhere, and lit up the room.

Ginny gasped quietly as the light revealed a very tall man, who held the flame in the palm of his hand quite literally.

He was deathly pale, and but was handsome in the way noblemen were handsome. His eyes were the same shade of red as the fire in his hand, and they looked as if they were glowing. His hair was black, and neatly slicked back with a large pair of curled, dark horns sitting on top of them.

"What do you want, demon?" She spat, stepping away from him. She grabbed whatever was closest—a book—and held it protectively in front of her.

The demon grinned, showing off pearly-white, red-tinged fangs. _"No need to be sso ssusspiciouss…" _He didn't move an inch. He could practically smell the fear in the air. _"I'm here to help you, I ssswear." _

She lowered the book, but held onto it. "What are you talking about?"

"_If I told you I could give you everything you wanted, what would you sssay?" _

Ginny's grip loosened. "I…I would say, 'how?'" She said quietly. She couldn't help but be interested.

The demon's grin widened. _"Now, my dear, let'sss talk." _

**GSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGS**

The King and Queen knew Harry didn't like any of the girls they had met with.

So they did what royalty did best—they organized a ball, and made sure to invite more lovely, young women.

Of course, Harry did not like this idea one bit.

But there was someone who did—the demon who visited Ginny in the library. He thought this was a splendid opportunity.

In a twisted version of Cinderella, he took the prince's humble, childhood friend, and turned her into a princess. Or made her look like one, anyway.

"_Before you leave, princesss," _the demon began, _"remember…if he doesn't fall in love with you…there will be consequences."_

Ginny glanced down at her forearm and at the mark their 'deal' left behind. She nodded. "I understand," she tried to sound brave, but it didn't work out as planned. "I won't go back on our deal."

"_I knew I could trussst you…"_ The demon gave her one last, cold smile, and disappeared.

Ginny gripped at the skirt of her dress, the dress the demon had made for her, and tried to muster up what was left of her confidence. She could make Harry see her for someone other than just his friend. She _could_.

With one deep, calming breath, she stepped into the ballroom.

**GSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGSGS**

End of Chapter 5—_Ginny's Side_

Well, there's a little background stuff. I wanted to establish all this before moving on…so…yeah… The next part will still be Chapter 5, but it'll be more about what's going on with Harry.

Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a review. They help. Quite a bit. :)


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